Circular knitting machines



Sept. 9, 1958 w A. SHORTLAND 2,850,886

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES I Filed March 6, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1As/mt/afld er v Arron/En;

Sept. 9, 1958 I A. SHORTLAND 2,850,835.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 6, 1956 J v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2MIVENTOE 2 .5 h o r i/qnd 5) m' aLuJ-q Anna/EX;

Sept. 9, 1958 A. SHORTLAND v 0,

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 6. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet s m/vE/WtwA Short/and A 2,850,886 Patented Sept. .9, 1958 CIRCULAR KNITTINGMACHINES Arthur Shortland, Leicester, England, assignor to MellorBromley & Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a British company ApplicationMarch 6, 1956, Serial No. 569,757 Claims priority, application GreatBritain March 7, 1955 9 Claims. (Cl. 66-25) This invention relates toknitting machines with circular needle beds, such as cylinders,cylinders and dials, and superimposed cylinders, associated camcarriers, and with independent needles.

The invention appertains to machines with movable cams of one form oranother for eflecting changes in' the knitting operation, as byswitching needles from one path to another to vary the character of theknitting or/and by adjustment of stitch cams to vary the quality of theknitted fabric, i. e. by producing tighter or' slacker stitches.

The invention is further applicable to machines adapted, by virtue ofselective operation of needles, jacks, sinkers, or other independentlymovable instruments, to produce patterned or fancy knitted fabric.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved manner ofeffecting changes in the position of movable cams or selectivelyoperable instruments so as to avoid the necessity for using amultiplicity of rotary drums or other controlling devices, therebysimplifying the means required to effect desired changes.

The aforesaid cams and instruments will be hereinafter genericallyreferred to as the movable units.

The invention accordingly comprehends the provision of a bank ofindividually movable elements adapted to be positioned selectively foreffecting, by direct or indirect action, changes in the positions of themovable units, a corresponding bank of members adapted selectively toinfluence the said elements, there being relative circular movementbetween the elements and the units, and also between the elements andthe corresponding influential members, and a main controlling mechanismfor action selectively upon the said members in order to effect suchchanges. f

in the case of movable cams the said elements would correspond in numberwith the number of cams, and

would be arranged for action upon respective parts connected with thecams. Alternatively, in the case of other units with butts there may beas many elements as butts, and the elements may be adapted for actionupon the butts as by means of corresponding interposed members, such aslevers or pressers.

As applied to a machine with a stationary cam carrier or carriers, thebank of elements would be arranged for rotation in timed relation withrevolutions of the machine, while the bank of influential members andthe main controlling mechanism would be stationary. In a machine of theconverse type, the said bank of elements would be stationary while thebank of influential members and the main controlling mechanism wouldrevolve.

Preferably, the said banks are mounted in carriers arranged coaxiallywith the needle bed or beds in proximity to the units to be actuated,but the invention is not limited in this respect, as any otherappropriate disposition of the banks may be adopted.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the

said elements are selectively influenced under remote trical. circuit,

control from a single controlling mechanism through intermediateconnections with the bank of influential memhers.

I The said mechanism and the influential members may beelectro-mechanical or wholly mechanical in character. Moreover, thecontrolling mechanism may be adapted to effect selection andre-selection of the elements according to the changes to be effectedduring knitting.

In one form of an electro-mechanical arrangement, e. g. for controllingmovable cams, the bank of elements in association with a series ofelectromagnetic devices, and the controlling mechanism includes acorresponding series of bus members adapted to be rendered live" througha series of selectively operable switches so that when any one of thebus members is live the corresponding device is energised and functionsthrough the associated element to effect a change in the position of acorresponding movable unit. For instance, if eight movable unitscomprising cams are, involved at a feeder of the machine, there would beeight bus members, and eight electro-magnetic devices, i. e. eightactions per feeder.

The bus members are rendered live, preferably through micro-switchesoperated by any suitable form of controlling means, such as a jacquardband, strip, drum or chain operated in timed relation with therevolutions of the machine. This controlling means could be adapted tore-select switches between feeders, i. e. for achieving differentselections of elements at different feeders and consequential differenteffects in the knitting.

There will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,specific examples of the invention, one comprising an electromechanicalarrangement and the other a wholly mechanical arrangement applied to amachine of the revolving cylinder and dial type for controlling stitchand quality cams.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation partly in section of theelectro-mechanical arrangement, and associated parts of the machine,

Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of a series of bus rings, and of thecarrier for the said rings,

Figure 3 isan elevation of part of the selecting mechanism as viewed inthe direction of the arrow A in Figure ,1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a bus ring and an associatedsolenoid with parts for action upon a cam,

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation'of a solenoid and a striker leverdrawn to a larger scale,

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram showing part of the elec- Figure 7 is afragmentary plan view of a pair of star wheels and associatedconnections for actuating a dial cam and a cylinder cam as viewed in thedirection of the arrows A--A in Figure. 1,

Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the star wheel and dial cam takenon line BB in Figure 7,

' Figure9 is a diagrammatic elevation similar to Figure l, but of thewholly mechanical arrangement,

Figure 10 is a plan of a portion of a bank of individual elements intheir carrier, and

Figure 11 isanelevation of this arrangement as viewed in the directionof the arrow C in Figure 9,.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, according to this example,the cam actuating elements are solenoids 1 (with cores) radiallydisposed in an annular carrier 2 mounted above the dial cam plate 3 andadapted to be driven synchronously with the dial by means of gearing,comprising gear teeth 4, pinions 5, 6 and a shaft 7, and a gear ring 8.Fixedly mounted immediately above the solenoids 1 is an annular support9 for a corresponding series of copper or other metallic bus rings 10,which are connected by leads 11 to respective microswitches 12 in turnassociated with an appropriate main selecting mechanism hereinafterdescribed.

Specifically, the support 9 is located between the existing spider arms13 and the dial cam plate 3, and the carrier 2 for the solenoids isdisposed between the support 9 and the cam plate and is rotated onerevolution per revolution of the dial 14. There is thus one bus ring,and a respective solenoid for each movable cam, say eight, four of whichmay be dial cams and four cylinder cams. Referring to Figures 1, 7 and8, each dial cam is provided with a starwheel 15 and lever mechanism 16,17, the lever 16 being connected to the dial cam 18 and the starwheelbeing operated when desired by an energised solenoid. The mechanisms 16,17 are stationary on the cam plate 14 with the starwheels 15 disposedupwards between the cam plate and the solenoids. Each solenoid has acarbon brush 19 in contact with the respective bus ring 10, and thesolenoids would be selected or reselected between each feeder, i. e. 12times per revolution for a twelve feeder machine. The bus rings would beselected for energising by means of a remote control mechanismeither pegdrum, chain, paper jacquard or other moving insulatablecontroller-suitably operating the micro-switches 12 through selectors20. There would be eight switches one for each bus ring connected to thebus members by normal electric conductors.

Describing the electrical arrangement in more detail, the solenoids aremounted in a bracket 21 fixed to the carrier 2 so that their brushes 19project upwards into contact with the bus rings which are located inconcentric grooves in the support 9. The micro-switches 12 are mountedon the bed plate 22 of the machine in line with the selectors 20. Theelectrical circuit is single pole and, as shown in Figure 6, the rings10 are connected through the micro-switches 12 to the source of supplyby the leads 11, 23 and the brushes 19 are connected through the coils24 of the solenoids by leads 25, 26 to the frame of the machine wherebythey are earthed. The leads 11 are attached to the bus rings by screws27 (Figures 1 and 4).

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, each of the solenoids has a coreconsisting of a plunger 28 with a non-magnetic tip 28a and for operatingthe corresponding starwheel a lever 29 and striking pins 30 (see alsoFigure 1) are respectively pivoted and slidably mounted in the bracket21 in register with the plunger. Each of the pins is held raised by aspring 31 so that when a solenoid is energised its plunger is pulleddown to depress the opposing lever and pin, thereby projecting thelatter from contact with the corresponding starwheel as the carrier 2r0- tates in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 7. Thus, byappropriate selection of the solenoids, the cams connected with thestarwheels are actuated. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the lever 16 iscombined with the starwheel 15, and a pin 32 connects the lever 17 withthe cam 18. The starwheel 15 and lever 16 are freely mounted on the dialcam plate 3 by means of a screw 33. Figure 7 also shows a combinedstarwheel 15a and cam 16a mounted on the plate by means of a screw 34, alever 35 pivoted on the plate by means of a screw 36 for action upon bythe cam 16a and a lever 37 connected to a cylinder cam (not shown).

The main selecting mechanism, represented more or less diagrammaticallyin Figures 1 and 3, comprises a drum 38 to be racked by a pawl andratchet mechanism 39, 40, 41, 42 operable by means of a cam 43 on thecylinder driving gear 44. This mechanism is carried by a bracket 45which is attached to the bed plate 22 and also serves to carry theselectors 20.- The drum 38 is furnished with bits 46 suitablypre-arranged thereon, for action upon the selectors tooperate themicro-switches. Thus, by suitable pre-arrangements of the hits, theposition of any one or more of the four dial cams and/or the fourcylinder cams at a feeder may be changed to effect the requiredvariations in the knitting. The drum is racked in tirned relation withthe revolutions of the machine between changes.

According to an alternative form of the electromechanical arrangements,electro-magnets may be substituted for the solenoids with striker leversand/or pins, such as 29, 30 arranged for limited fall by gravity, orspring loaded, so as to be adapted to be held inoperative with theswitches closed and the bus rings live, whereby on selected switchesbeing opened as by the selectors 20, so as to de-energise thecorresponding magnets, the respective striker levers or/and pins wouldbe released for action upon the corresponding starwheels.

The bus rings could be divided into feeder span sections insulated fromeach other, each section being rendered live from a corresponding switchwhich would enable the remote control mechanism to select, say, twiceper revolution, instead of twelve times for a twelve feeder machine.This would mean that there would beif there were eight bus members andtwelve feedersninety six switches to be operated. It would also bepossible, and may be desirable not to energise all bus rings at the sametime, but to energise bus rings for operating clearing cams later thanbus rings for operating quality cams.

There would be two or more separate sets of bus rings and solenoids, orelectro-magnets, say, one set for dial cam plate and one for thecylinder cam box.

According to the wholly mechanical arrangement, striker mechanisms areprovided in conjunction with the individual elements and a common maincontrolling mechanism is provided in conjunction with the strikermechanisms. In one arrangement for controlling the multiplicity ofmovable cams at a feeder or feeders, of the knitting machine, thestriker mechanisms comprise a circular series of concentric ringsfurnished with striking studs, and intermediate parts to be acted uponby the studs, said rings being mounted for angular movement under thecontrol of the common controlling mechanism to cause the studs toposition the said parts for actuation of the corresponding elements.

For a knitting machine with but one feeder, there will be one stud ineach ring, and the number of rings corresponds with the number ofelements in the bank. When there is more than one feeder, the number ofstuds in each ring corresponds with the number of feeders.

Referring to Figures 9 to 11 of the drawings, in a complete arrangementadapted, for example, to influence a number of movable cams in theknitting cam system at a feeder, there are (a) a bank of individualelements, comprising pins 47, -(b) a corresponding series of rings 48with striking studs 49, (a) a corresponding bank of levers 59, (d) acorresponding number of selectors 51 and (e) a like number ofinterconnections 52 between the selectors 51 and the rings 48.

The pins 47 and the levers 50 are respectively pivotally and slidablyarranged in a bracket 53 located in an annular carrier 54 mounted likethe carrier 2 (Figure 1), and similarly driven by gearing 4, 5, 6, 7 and8. The rings 48 are located in concentric grooves in an annular support9 fixed above the carrier 54 with the rings in register with the levers50. The intermediate connections 52 consist of cables inserted in blocks52a, 52b and controlled by springs 55. Thus, when the selectors 51 areoperated, the rings are moved angularly to cause their studs 49 to actupon the levers 50 so that the pins 48 are depressed against the actionof springs, one of which 56 is shown in Figure 11, thereby to strike thestarwheels 15, 15a (Figures 7 and 8) as and with the result appertainingto the electro-mechanical arrangement hereinbefore described. Astarwheel 15, with its associated lever 16, 17 and dial cam 18, is alsoshown in Figure 9.

The construction and operation of the common controlling mechanismrepresented at 57 is similar to that already described with reference toFigures 1 and 3.

' In either form of the invention, a perforated jacquard band or strip,or a chain with bits thereon, may be pro vided on the drum 38 instead ofthe bits 46. Thus, selectors 20 or 51 resting on imperforate parts ofthe band or strip, or on bits on the chain will be those selected.

When there are two or more feeders, each ring has a correspondingplurality of studs and there is a corresponding plurality of banks ofassociated pins and levers. Instead of rings, a multiplicity of segmentswith studs may be provided, there being as many segments and studs aspins andlevers to be acted upon, the mechanism in other respects beingsimilar to that already described.

Figures 1 and 9 of the drawings show more or less diagrammatically asmuch of a circular knitting machine of the conventional rotary cylinderand dial type as is necessary to illustrate the application of theinvention thereto. In these figures 58 is a cylinder, and 59' theassociated cam box. Cylinder and dial needles are indicated respectivelyby the references 60, 61. The top gear 8 is the one from which the dial14 is driven as usual, and which serves to drive the carrier 2{Figure 1) and 54 (Figure 9) through the gearing 4, 5, 6 and 7. Thespider arms, only one of which is shown at 13, are carried by posts, onebeing shown at 62. An annular gear case 63 is mounted on the spiderarms.

In an alternative form of the wholly mechanical arrangement, themechanism consists of a drum with selecting means, feeders inconjunction with the selecting means, a rotary cam unit for actuatingthe striker mechanisms through the agency of the feelers and connectionsintermediate of the feelers and the rings. The rotary cam unit is to bedriven in timed relation to the revolutions of the machine, and the drumwith the selecting means is to-be racked between changes. The rotary camunit also serves to rack the drum, so that it a has cams for contactwith the feeders, and a cam for contact with the racking mechanism. Thelatter may consist of a lever, a clawker or pawl, and a ratchet Wheel,and the aforesaid interconnections may comprise levers connected to thefeelers, links connected to the rings, and other levers between thefirst mentioned levers and the links. The striker cams may be so mountedrelatively to the rings that when a ring is moved angularly the stud orstuds therein move the corresponding cam or cams into position to strikethe co-related element or elements, thus to influence the associatedmovable unit or units.

The selecting means on the racked drum may be a jacquard band or strip,or a chain with bits, or bits attached to the drum. Thus feelers restingon imperforate parts of the band or strip, or on bits, will be thoseselected for operation by the rotary cam unit, and the se- 'lection willthereby be transmitted through the interconnections to the striker cams,and hence to the corresponding elements and the movable units.

According to a further form, a fixed bank of striking levers or/ andpins is provided and operated by peg drums mounted on a supportrevolving with the machine. The peg drums may be racked between feederswhen required. A peg drum racking and bluifer mechanism controlled fromchain control mechanism at one point would be provided. Alternatively,to give a much larger scope of control than that exercised by peg dmms,a rotary bank of levers or pins may be provided for together with a pegdrum immediately above them, revolving therewith, but capable of beingmoved forward or backward one pitch between feeders, the racking orbluffing of this drum to be controlled from a chain control mechanism.

In the application of either of the forms of the invention describedwith reference to the drawings to the control of other individuallymovable units with butts, the carriers for the pins 30 or 47 would bedisposed and arranged so as to enable the pins to act upon respectivebutts or interposed members. There are machines with movable units, suchas pivoted jacks, provided with butts so disposed thereon that when theunits are prearranged in the associated needle bed, oblique series ofbutts are formed. As applied to such a machine, the pins may be disposedand controlled suchwise that they are selected or reselected between twoadjacent oblique series of butts in order to eifect the requiredchanges.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, a bank ofindividually movable elements adapted to be positioned selectively foreffecting changes in the positions of movable units of the kind referredto, a corresponding bank of electro-magnetic devices in association withand adapted selectively to influence the said elements, there beingrelative circular movement between the elements and the correspondingelectro-magnetic devices, a single controlling mechanism for actionselectively upon the said electro-magnetic devices in order to effectsuch changes, a bank of bus members, and a corresponding series ofswitches for rendering the said bus members active, said switches beingunder the control of the controlling mechanism, whereby whenever a busmember is rendered active the corresponding electro-magnetic device isenergised and functions through the associated movable element to effecta change in the position of the corresponding movable unit.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the electro-magneticdevices with their said elements, and the corresponding bus members aremounted respectively in carriers arranged co-axially with a knittingcomponent of the machine.

3. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, a bank ofindividually movable elements adapted to be positioned selectively foreffecting changes in the positions of movable units of the kind referredto, a corresponding bank of solenoids in association with and adaptedselectively to influence the said elements, there being relativecircular movement between the elements and the units and also betweenthe elements and the corresponding solenoids, a bank of correspondingbus' members, corresponding switches in an electrical circuit includingthe solenoids and the'bus members, and a selecting mechanism includingselectors for operating said switches, whereby whenever a switch isoperated by a selector the corresponding bus member is rendered activeand the corresponding solenoid is energised so that it functions throughits associated element to effect a change in the position of thecorresponding movable unit.

4. A combination according to claim 3, which includes, in associationwith the solenoids, corresponding levers and pins to be operated by thesolenoids so as to position the pins for effecting changes in thepositions of the movable units.

5. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, movable unitseffecting changes in the knitting operation of the machine, a bank ofindividually movable elements adapted to be positioned selectively forchanging the positions of said movable units, a circular series ofconcentric rings which are mounted for angular movement and arefurnished with striking studs corresponding to and adapted selectivelyto influence the said individual elements, intermediate parts to' beacted upon by said studs, there being relative circular movement betweenthe elements and the units and also between the elements and thecorresponding striking studs, and a single con-- of interconnectionsbetween the selectors and the rings whereby whenever a ring is movedangularly by a selector, the corresponding lever is moved to positionthe associated pin for changing the position of the correspondingmovable unit.

7. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, a knitting component,movable cams in said knitting component effecting changes in theknitting operation of the machine, a bank of individually movableelements adapted to be positioned selectively for changing the positionsof the movable cams, a corresponding bank of star wheels andintermediate connections adapted selectively to influence the saidelements, there being relative circular movement between the elementsand the cams, and also between the elements and the correspondinginfluential star wheels and intermediate connections, and a maincontrolling mechanism for action selectively upon the said star wheelsand intermediate connections in order to elfect such changes.

8. A combination according to claim 7, wherein the individual elementsare arranged for rotation in timed relation with the revolutions of themachine.

9. A combination according to claim 8, wherein the said influential starwheels and the individual elements are mounted respectively in carriersarranged co-axially with the knitting component, and the carrier for theindividual elements is rotatable and adapted to be driven byintermediate gearing synchronously with the revolutions of the machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,573,782 Zeruneith Nov. 6, 1951

